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'57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

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  • '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

    Hi, the bridge pickup in my Gibson Les Paul Traditional ('57 Classic plus) sounds really bright compared to the neck '57 Classic, which is rather dark. I lowered the polepieces to get the harshness out and there is a difference, but the pickup still has that bright character. The pots are the stock 300k volume and 500k tone. Is there a way to dial out the treble, especially on the higher strings, by playing with the pickup and polepieces height?

    Or maybe vintage output pickups in the bridge are really just not for me. I love the Duncan Custom in the bridge of my other Les Paul. I also have another one with a Duncan Slash bridge. It has a bit of the same brightness as the '57 Classic plus, but the crunchy mids are what make it great. I don't hear that crunch in the '57 Classic plus, just the treble.

  • #2
    Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

    I Like that pickup a lot of your into Van Halen 1 first album it’s a great pickup.What music you like to play ?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

      That kind of stuff + old school metal.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

        A crazy idea is to swap the 2 pickups.
        Messing with pot values may help, or even your string types. But in the end you might just not like the 57 Plus. I've heard the same from others, so you are not alone there.
        Administrator of the SDUGF

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        • #5
          Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

          Won't they sound the same as they do now if I swap them? I think I'm just not used to having a lower output pickup in the bridge. Most of my other guitars have high output bridge pickups that sound darker: Hot Rails, Super Distortion, Duncan Custom, JB (which isn't bright to my ears, just mid-heavy) Duncan Designed HB-103 (Distortion copy, also mid-heavy and not that bright). It's that shrill top end that gets on my nerves. However, I dialed most of it out by lowering the polepieces, especially on the high e and b-string. But I'm just not used to that "open" character of a pickup in combination with the lower output. I listened to the sound samples on the Seymour Duncan webbsite and the '59 bridge has the same kind of bright character as the '57 classic plus when compared to, for example the Custom.
          As the guitar has 300k volume and 500k tone pots, I'm planning on swapping the neck volume pot for the bridge tone pot. That way the neck pickup wil get brighter (500k volume and 500k tone pot) and the bridge pickup will darken up a bit (300k volume and 300k tone pot).

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          • #6
            Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

            Subtly apply your tone knob. That is EXACTLY what it is for.

            You can also tilt the pickup. Higher to obscure the treble more. Adjust polepieces to balance string volume, AFTER adjusting pickup height to tweak e.q.
            Originally posted by LesStrat
            Yogi Berra was correct.
            Originally posted by JOLLY
            I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

              Lower output pickups(Gibson PAF)have a open sound and clarity that high output pickups don’t have. You hear every note which I like.

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              • #8
                Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                I'm pretty sure the magnet in the 57 Classic is polished. If so, replacing it with a roughcast alnico 2 magnet would result in a warmer and more complex tone.

                Seth Lovers use a polished A2 magnet. Great pickups but not as full, warm and textured as the Antiquity which uses a roughcast A2 magnet.

                Just a thought, and easier to do than a pickup swap.
                “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                  Originally posted by Lewguitar View Post
                  I'm pretty sure the magnet in the 57 Classic is polished. If so, replacing it with a roughcast alnico 2 magnet would result in a warmer and more complex tone.

                  Seth Lovers use a polished A2 magnet. Great pickups but not as full, warm and textured as the Antiquity which uses a roughcast A2 magnet.

                  Just a thought, and easier to do than a pickup swap.
                  Not in my case, as the pickups are covered, so I'd have to unsolder the cover, remove wax, etc. I think a pot swap might just do the job.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                    You should be raising the pickup to get a fatter warmer tone. If the pole pieces have a big gap from the strings it will increase the top end brightness.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                      Originally posted by Teleplayer View Post
                      You should be raising the pickup to get a fatter warmer tone. If the pole pieces have a big gap from the strings it will increase the top end brightness.
                      Yup.
                      Originally posted by LesStrat
                      Yogi Berra was correct.
                      Originally posted by JOLLY
                      I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                        Yup. Closer = more compression = less spikes in the frequency range.

                        Crank that thing up!
                        Epiphone LP Standard PlusTop Pro
                        Ibanez SZ320 / A8 DD103 bridge.
                        Ibanez RG270 / Screamin' Demon bridge.

                        Egnater Tweaker 15 Head / Laney Cub 8 / 2x12 - Celestion V30+K100
                        Line 6 M13 and plenty of stompboxes I rarely use!

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                        • #13
                          Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                          ya know
                          I was just talking to my buddy about how some people mess with the height of the adjustable screws
                          and most people do not

                          the ones that do, overwhelmingly, have lowered the pickup for some reason
                          and are trying to compensate for the loss of volume

                          I believe you may be one of those

                          some pickups, like the JB, have a sweet spot where they sound great
                          the Classic 57 Plus is an over wound PAF style pickup like the JB

                          It probably wants to be at a certain height under the strings to good


                          start at 1/8 of an inch or 4 mm
                          EHD
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                          • #14
                            Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                            250k volume and tone.
                            The things that you wanted
                            I bought them for you

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: '57 Classic plus too bright in bridge

                              Originally posted by ehdwuld View Post
                              ya know
                              I was just talking to my buddy about how some people mess with the height of the adjustable screws
                              and most people do not

                              the ones that do, overwhelmingly, have lowered the pickup for some reason
                              and are trying to compensate for the loss of volume

                              I believe you may be one of those

                              some pickups, like the JB, have a sweet spot where they sound great
                              the Classic 57 Plus is an over wound PAF style pickup like the JB

                              It probably wants to be at a certain height under the strings to good


                              start at 1/8 of an inch or 4 mm
                              I like having my bridge pickups as close to the strings as possible, so that's not the problem. Maybe I can raise it just a tiny little bit, but I don't have much room left. I think the problem was that the polepieces were too high through the pickup cover from the factory.

                              Comment

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